Water-level controller



G. w. sTETs0N.` WATER LEVEL CONTRQLLER. .APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Il,1,917.

1,418,845 `Patente@Jungs; 1922.'

GEORGE W. s'rE'rsoN, or unicam, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 6, 1922.

-Application filed September 6; 1917. Serial No. 130,094.

the following to be a full, cle r, and exact de' scription of theinvention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to water level controllers and moreparticularly to control-P lers of this type employed in connection withsteam boilers.

The object of the present invention is to improve and reorganize feedwater control- 1ers in a manner to increase the sensitiveness of controland ensure a continuous feed to a boiler governed' by the demand forsteam' and independent of the temperature of the water or steam.

With this object in view the several features of the invention consistin certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangementsof parts hereinafter described and claimed. -the advantages of whichwill be obvious to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of thecontroller with the casing cut away to illustrate clearly the ber shallimmediately vary d5 various working parts; and Fig'. :2 is 'a detailillustratingr a -plan view of the valve lever and connected parts.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a ioat containedinthe usual chamber connected with the steam boiler .and operatinga'feed valve which controls the supply of waterto the boiler. It isdesirable that the connections between.y the iioat and water valve shallbe freely movable in order that slight changes of level in the floatchamthe position of the valve. To this end a oat lever is supportedbetween its ends upon a fixed fulcrum and is connected to the upper endof a 'valve rod through short links. The valve rod is constrained tomove in a rectilinear' path and the link connection immediately adjacenttoA the fulcrum of the oat lever' permits the proper movements to beiinparted to the valve rod by the float without .binding or cramping therod in its guides.

The weight of the float and connected parts together with the liquidcontained therein upper en is balanced by suitable counter-weightssupported upon the end of the lever opposite the float and asl theconnection with the valve rod is in close proximity' to the fulcruml ofthe lever it will be obvious that a slight pressure exerted upon theloatand due to changes in water level outside of it in either direc-tionwill suiiice to impart the proper movements to the valve rod.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the floatchamber is con tained within a casing 1() and is provided with a float11 supported upon the outer end of a iloat lever 12 which is fulcrumedupon the casin at 13 and is connected with the site side of the fulcrum.-The fioatlever conveniently comprises a member .15 having trunnions 16.which are journaled in opposite sides of the casing and a tubularportion 18 in which the end of a float -rod 19 is threadedly receivedand secured in position by aclamp nut 20. The member 15 of the floatlever is pivotally connected with the upper end of the valve rod 14through a pair of short links 2l which are connected at their oppositeends to pins 25 and 26 secured, respectively, in the member 15 and theupper end of the valve rod. A valvecasing,r 30 is secured to t-he underside of the fioat casing 10 and Vis provided with upper and lower valvesleeves 32 and 3B-through which pistons 35 carried by the valve rod 14move.

'valve sleeves to control the flow of water through the'valve. The upperand lower sleeves are conveniently formed in a single valve cagethreadedly connected to the casing 30 at 37 and provided with verticalwebs 38 which connect vthe two sleeves. With this construction avertical movement ofA the valve rod causes a gradually increasing amountof water to flow through the valve ports as they are uncovered by theco-operating pistons. The cage i? is also provided with depending arms4U which support a bearing ring 41 in which an enlarged lower end 42 ofthe valve rod isslidingly received. This construction forms a guide forthe lower end of the valve rod and ensures that the valve rod and pistonvalves carried thereby shall be properly centered with relation to thevalve sleeves. The feed water is conducted into the valve casing throughan intake passage- 43 and is conducted from of a valve rod 14 upon theoppol the valve casing to the boilel` through a pas-t the upper 'end ofthe valve rod and at the same time prevents the discharge ol anysubstantial quantity ot Water from the valve chamber into the iioatchamber although V permitting the passage of a small quantity in theusual manner.

to lubricate the valve rod.

The Weight ot' the float ll and supporting lever together with theliquid contained in the float is accurately balanced by a plurality ofWeights which aresupported upon the end of the oat lever oppolsite theiioat. Each weight consists of al disk of)v suitable thickness providedwith a radial; slot 54 ,to permit the disk to rest upon the iioat leverThe disks are retained in position by oppositely disposed collars 55secured to the float lever through a clantp screw '56. Thecounter-balancing effect of the weights may be conveniently varied byadjustingthe positionof the weights toe Ward and from the fulcrum 13ofthe float lever.A This adjustment of. the weights is easily secured bythe movement of the"-co l'` lars 55 along the member l5. The provisionof the hand hole covers and 6l above the weights 53 and the float; l1pemits the convenient assembling of the 'apparatus or the substitutionof one part for .another when`desired. Y

This construction provides a sim le and compact mechanism foraccurate'ytfeon'-` trolling the iiow of water to al boilen'to maintain avariable-level in the boileidependent on the rate at which steam isbeing used.. The water level intheiioat chamberl is maintained uniformwith the level in the'4 boiler'through the usual connections 63 and 64at the bottom and top of the ioat chamber, lrespectively. i

It is customary 1n apparatus of this type to provide a sealediioat'within the Hoat chamber adaptedto change itsl position 'inaccordance with changes of the vwalter level within the chamber. Owingto' the pressure 'Within the oat chamber itis desirable to provide somemeans for equalizng the res- 60 sure upon the exterior and interior olthe oat and for this purpose the addition of a small quantity of waterto the interior of the iloat has been suggested in order that the steamgenerated b this water when the float is in use sha exert the desiredlpresmisses sure upon the inside of the iloat. @wing to the radiationfrom the float casing and some slight leakage ot water from the valvechamber into the float chamber, and perhaps other causes,t hetemperature of the Water within the float chamber is less than thetemperature oi the steam at the pressure within the chamber and thetemperature of the nterior ot the float which is immersed in both thewater and steam is accordingly less than that oi the steam. It is notpossible by this means, therefore, to secure a pressure within thc floatequal to the pressure without the lloat as the temperature within thefloat is less than the temperature of the steam in the float chamber.According to the present iny vention the pressure upon opposite sidesof` the oat is exactly balanced and the 'objections incident toapparatus of this kind, as i above described, are obviated by theemployment of an open container which is comi the container is at alltimes maintained com i pletel y full of water. With this constructionthat portion of" the water within the conthe counter-weights. Wh/en thewater level p within the chamber dropttjtherefore, the ef# fective'weight of theoat isincreased, overbalancing the counter-weights toelevate the chamber rises, lupzi] the other hand, the effective weightot'Y "e container is decreased so .that the counter-weights overbalancethe container and depress the valve rod. In order to aid in the flow ofcondensed steam into the container the' opening 65 at the top of thecontainer is provided with an voutwardly flanged rim 66 arranged tocollect the steam,

.the waterof the iioat` chamber. -llVit this construction theiloat,owing to' thel fact that valve rod. When the water level within the itdoes not have to withstand unbalanced tothe vend of the valve lever; `Te straps` serve to press the float against a seat 7 4' supported uponthe end ofl the valve lever` and Q., shaped in conformity With thecurvaturel of `the float. y

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction andarrangement of parts is claimed is:

shown and described,- it Will be understood that this construction andarrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the bechanged or modified without departing from the broader yfeatures claims,and may of the invention.

The invention having been described, what 1. A4 Waterlevel controller,comprising a float casing having a chamber connected with. lhe steam andWater spaces of a boiler, a

` float lever supported within the casing upon i a fixed fulcrum, acontainer completely filled with Water and supported upon one end of thelever,v a valve rod, means for guiding the Valverod 4in a rectilinearpath, anda vlinlr connecting Athe upper end of the valve rod with theoat lever adjacent the ulcrum and upon the opposite side from the con-2. A vvater level controller, comprising a float casing having a chamberconnected with posite side having balanced opposed valves mountedthereon, means for guiding the valve rod in a rectilinear path, and alink connecting the vupper end of theivalve rod With the Vfloat leveradjacent the ulcrum and upon the opfrom the oat.

3. A Water level controller comprising a casing having a loat chamber, asteam connec-tion entering the upper portion of the casing, a containerfiled`vv1th vvater and having an opening in t e uppermost portiondirectly below the steam connection, valve, a 'verticallymovable valverod, a loose guide for the valve' rod between the float chamberand valvechambervvhich permits cold Water from the valve chamber to leak into thefloat chamber, connections between the valvef rod and container, andmeans for counter-balancing the container and connections.

i esonera vv. srETsoN.

457,711 a feed

